Multifunctional and recyclable microfibrillated cellulose/juncus effusus fiber aerogel for thermal management and spilled-oil treatment.

Abstract

Bio-based aerogel holds great promise in the realm of selective spilled-oil treatment and thermal management due to its light weight, high porosity and good sustainability. Nevertheless, systematic research is still needed to investigate how the preparation strategies and raw materials affect the structure and properties of aerogels. In this study, a quantitative design based on hollow Juncus effusus fiber and microfibrillated cellulose was adopted to optimize the preparation of bio-aerogels with stable structures and reusability. The resulting ultra-light (8.45 mg/cm3) aerogels demonstrated outstanding superhydrophobicity (157.6°), high absorption capacity (72-112 g/g), excellent mechanical property, antifouling performance, and good thermal insulation property (0.047 W/(m·K)). Therefore, these composite porous materials possessed the characteristics of abundant resources and simple preparation methods, making them promising candidate materials for oil absorption and thermal management applications.